New York State Elementary Test Prep: ELA 4 Test (Grade 2) Compare/Contrast

Think about your favorite friend. How are you and your friend alike? Are you the same age? Do you go to the same school? How are you and your friend different? Do you watch different television shows? Do you live in different houses? You have just compared and contrasted you and your friend. Compare and contrast means to find all the ways two objects, (or people,) are the same (alike) or different.

Let's look at a basketball
and a soccer ball!

Here are some ways a basketball and a soccer ball are alike. They are both:

round

bouncy

balls

used in sports

Here are some ways a basketball and a soccer ball are different.

A basketball is:

orange

black lines

bumpy

A soccer ball is:

white

black spots

smooth

Now let's really have some fun! Let's draw a Venn Diagram. A Venn Diagram is an easy way to organize all the information that we have found. It is a great idea to use a Venn Diagram when you are finding ways two objects are alike and different.

First, we are going to draw two circles. On the top of the first circle, we are going to write, basketball. On the top of the second circle, we are going to write, soccer ball. Then, let's list the ways these balls are different on the outer parts of the circle. (Make sure you list all the details about basketballs in the basketball circle and all the details about soccer balls in the soccer ball circle!) When we are finished with that, we can write all the ways the balls are the same in the middle parts of the circles. Look below to see what our Venn Diagram should look like.

We can now go one step further and write a paragraph comparing and contrasting a basketball and a soccer ball. If we use our Venn Diagram then our paragraph will already be planned out for us!

A basketball and a soccer ball are alike and different in many ways. They are both round, bouncy, balls used in sports. However, a basketball is orange, with black lines. It feels very bumpy. A soccer ball is white, with black spots. This type of ball is smooth. These are just a few of the ways that a basketball and a soccer ball are alike and different.